This invention pertains generally to power tools and more particularly to an improved cutting tool such as a tile saw and methods for adjusting and operating the cutting tool.
Portable power saws such as tile saws are frequently used by craftspeople to cut building materials such as tiles and stone into different shapes and sizes for various applications. For example, craftspeople working on construction and remodeling projects often use tile saws to cut tiles and stone for floors, walls, countertops, and fireplaces. Because on-site tile cutting saves time and money as compared with off-site cutting, many tile saws are portable so that craftspeople can use them at the work site.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable tile saw 10, which includes a frame 12, tile-tray guide rails 14, a tile-cutting tray 16, a coolant pan 18, a saw motor 20, and saw blade 22. Because tiles are typically made from ceramic or stone, the saw blade 22 is often diamond tipped. The tile saw 10 is shown cutting a tile 24.
Unfortunately, many portable tile saws are heavy and bulky, and thus are difficult for a lone craftsperson to transport around the work site. For example, a craftsperson often carries his/her portable tile saw up and down stairs. But the tile saw""s weightxe2x80x94typically anywhere from 70 to 120 lbsxe2x80x94and structural layout make it difficult to carry even for a relatively strong person. Therefore, many craftspeople seek,assistance when carrying their tile saws, particularly when carrying them up and down stairs. But if assistance is unavailable, a craftsperson either waits for assistance to arrive or carries the saw by himself/herself. Unfortunately, waiting for assistance can delay the job and thus cause the craftsperson to lose revenue, and carrying the saw alone can cause the craftsperson to injure himself/herself or to drop and damage the saw.
Referring again to FIG. 1, another problem with many portable tile saws is that the blade coolant leaks onto the floor or other saw-support surface. For example, a pump (not shown in FIG. 1) circulates a coolant such as water from the coolant pan 18 to the saw blade 22, and ideally, the coolant flows back into the pan 18. The pan 18, however, is in a fixed position and is only about as wide as the frame 12. Therefore, if a craftsperson cuts a relatively wide tile, the tile may extend past the edge of the frame 12, and thus past the edge of the pan 18. Consequently, the coolant that dribbles from the blade 22 onto the tile surface may roll off the edge of the tile and onto the floor instead of back into the pan 18.
Still referring to FIG. 1, yet another problem with all portable tile saws is the lack of a routing attachment. Frequently, after cutting the tile 24, a craftsperson smoothens and/or shapes the corners and edges of the tile before installing it. To do this, the craftsperson typically uses a separate routing tool or sends the tile 24 out to a routing facility. Unfortunately, routing tools are relatively expensive, and sending tiles out to a routing facility often delays the completion of the project.
In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus includes a frame having a hollow cylindrical receptacle, a cutting tool mounting structure having a cylindrical insert that is disposable within the hollow receptacle, a cutting tool that is mountable to the mounting structure, and a material tray slidably mountable to the frame. The cylindrical receptacle and insert allow one to swivel the cutting tool, such as a saw or a router, in and out of position.
In another aspect of the invention, a cutting-tool mounting structure includes a receptacle, a holding bar that is disposable and rotatable within the receptacle and that holds a cutting tool, and a tool-position assembly that retains the holding bar in a desired rotational position with respect to the receptacle. Therefore, instead of loosening brackets and rotating the cutting tool, such as a saw, around the holding bar, one can position the cutting tool by merely rotating the holding bar.
In another aspect of the invention, a material-cutting tray includes a cutting side, an underside, and a wheel assembly mounted to the underside. The cutting side has a length in a cutting direction and first and second ends perpendicular to the cutting direction. The wheel assembly includes four wheels each rotatable in the cutting direction and each positioned xe2x85x9-⅓ of the length of the cutting side from the respective closest one of the first and second ends. By positioning the wheels inward of the ends, the tray has more travel distance along a guide rail. Thus, for material, such as a tile, of a given size, one can use a frame having a shorter length as compared to tile saws having trays with wheels at the tray ends.
In another aspect of the invention, a material-cutting tray includes a cutting side, an underside, and a wheel assembly mounted to the underside. The wheel assembly includes tray-support wheels each rotatable in a cutting direction and for respectively engaging the upper sides of a pair of guide rails, and includes a retain-release mechanism for retaining the tray to one or both of the rails. Therefore, where the wheels are mounted inward of the tray ends and a material, such as a tile, unbalances the tray, such a mechanism prevents the tray from tipping.